UV-mapping tips and tricks?

[RhinoMatte]

Hi. I'm using Blender for modeling and texturing, and XSI for animating and importing into UDK.

Until now, texturing in Blender has been quite easy (weapons and stuff), but I have trouble creating the correct UV-map for my character (a walking bear xD). With Blender, you can create "Seams", which show the parts which you want to get away from the rest in your UV-map. But I was wondering what parts I should seam.

Should I create a different seam for every different part of the body, even if they're going to be the same color? Or should I only seam the parts that need other textures, like the head and belly, for example? Thanks!

[Dante_sk]

Hi, I'm using Blender too, but i am a beginner. Can you please tell me how to apply the matterial/texture on a skeletal mesh so it is visible in UDK ?

I have imported to the UDK skeletal mesh and material (UV-map as targa image file). But i am clueless to how to apply the material.

[TheOneandOnly]

A good way to think of it is like the old fashioned world atlases: Painting an image of a sphere by splitting it into two almost separated circles. The best way in my opinion (Although it can vary depending on what you're texturing) is to keep the facial area intact and split outwards, generally it's easier to get rid of texture seams at the back of the head than the front.

For the torso, arms and (usually) legs, I tend to split the limbs off separately, then split the torso section into front and back.

[RhinoMatte]

Thanks!

/10CHAR